Yun Qing returned to the beginner hub, the system notifications still ringing softly in his ears. The upgrade token from the spar had already unlocked a small improvement to Shadow Step — longer duration, less mana drain. His level had jumped to 5 after the rewards kicked in. Not god-tier yet, but the foundation was solid.
He found a quiet corner near the fountain square and opened the ranked queue interface. Server channel 7 was mid-tier — mostly Level 20–40 players grinding for placement. Far above a fresh account like his.
A private message popped up before he could hit queue.
[Ice Emperor has invited you to a duo ranked match. Accept?]
Yun Qing stared at the glowing text. In his past life, he had avoided teams. Partners were liabilities — people who eventually sold you out for the right price. Yet here he was, finger hovering over "Accept."
He tapped it.
The matchmaking screen loaded. Their combined MMR was skewed wildly because of Ling Feng's hidden high rating on his alt. The system placed them against a pair of Level 28 players: a loud DPS duo who spammed global chat with trash talk.
Loading into the arena map — a ruined temple with plenty of shadows and elevated terrain.
Yun Qing spawned on the left flank. Ling Feng appeared beside him, his silver-black gear standing out even in the dim light.
"Stick close," Ling Feng said calmly through voice chat. His tone was professional, but there was an undercurrent of something warmer. "I'll tank. You do whatever you did in the forest."
Yun Qing adjusted his grip on the upgraded dagger. "Understood."
The match started.
The enemy DPS pair charged straight in — overconfident, expecting an easy win against the "noob" on their opponent's team. Their warrior shouted, "Easy prey! The Ice Emperor brought his little pet today!"
Yun Qing didn't rise to the bait. He melted into the long shadows cast by broken pillars, activating Shadow Step. The world blurred slightly as he became nearly invisible.
Ling Feng drew aggro like a magnet, his control skills creating zones of slowed movement and taunts. He moved with flawless positioning, blocking paths and forcing the enemies into predictable lines.
That was when Yun Qing struck.
From behind, a perfect Shadow Burst followed by a chain of precise stabs. The enemy DPS's health plummeted in seconds. Critical hits flashed across the screen — each one landing exactly where Yun Qing calculated the weak points would be.
"What the—?!" the warrior yelled as his partner dropped to half health in one combo.
Ling Feng's voice came through chat, low and almost impressed. "Nice timing."
They synced without words after that. Ling Feng would create an opening with a crowd-control skill, and Yun Qing would exploit it with lethal efficiency — shadow clones distracting, burst damage finishing. Their movements complemented each other perfectly: iron defense meeting ghostly offense.
The enemies tried to adapt, focusing fire on the "weak" rookie. But Yun Qing danced through their attacks like he was dodging real bullets again. One feint left the enemy exposed; Ling Feng capitalized instantly with a heavy stun.
Victory screen flashed in under eight minutes.
[Match Won! Rating increase: +48 for both]
[Team Synergy Bonus unlocked for future queues]
In the post-match lobby, Ling Feng didn't leave immediately. His avatar turned to face Yun Qing's.
"You're not a normal rookie," he said quietly. "That wasn't luck. That was trained instinct. Military? Pro scene before?"
Yun Qing hesitated. The truth was impossible to tell. "Something like that."
Ling Feng was silent for a beat. Then, softer: "Queue again?"
The offer hung there. Simple. Dangerous.
Yun Qing's chest tightened with old wariness, but beneath it stirred something new — the thrill of fighting beside someone who could actually keep up. Someone whose presence didn't feel like a threat.
"…Yeah," he answered. "One more."
As the next queue loaded, Yun Qing caught himself watching the way Ling Feng's avatar moved — calm, controlled, reliable.
For the first time in two lives, the Shadow Emperor wondered what it would feel like to not be alone in the dark